Reaper: Mixed News for Fans of the Supernatural Series

Published: May 13, 2009

Having delayed the return of Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, Rick Gonzalez, Missy Peregrym, Ray Wise, and company until late midseason and then pitting them up against American Idol, it looked like the CW network had already given up on Reaper.

Another seeming nail in the show’s coffin seemed to come last month when it was announced that the show’s creators, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, had signed an exclusive two year deal with rival studio 20th Century Fox TV. The CW network hasn’t made any official announcement on the show’s fate but, we have some good news and bad news.

In a note to show supporters at ReaperDMV.com, Tara Butters indicated that reports about the creators’ deal with 20th Century Fox weren’t totally accurate. If Reaper is picked up for a third season, the duo would still be involved. “Both Michele and I have been working on Reaper for over ten years and are very proud of the series,” She writes. “If Reaper does come back for a third season we would be involved. We have it worked out to consult on the show. We would want nothing more for the show to keep going we love our cast, crew, and fans.”

And now, the less-than-positive news. While the CW won’t make an official announcement about the show’s fate for two weeks, the FOX network is quite confident that Reaper won’t survive. They’ve just picked up Labine’s new single-camera comedy, Sons of Tucson. In the new series, Labine stars as a charming hustler who’s hired by three brothers to pretend to be their father while their real Dad serves time in jail for a white-collar crime.

Do you think Reaper will survive?

By all accounts, Labine is ready and raring to go to the new series. However, the new show is in second position for the actor so he’d likely have to drop out of the lead role of Tucson if the CW renews Reaper.

However unlikely that possibility may seem, it could happen. Pierce Brosnan had to pass on being James Bond in 1986 when NBC rescinded its cancellation of Remington Steele, thanks to a letter-writing campaign. More recently, ABC prevented John Stamos from joining ER in 2005 when they picked up Jake in Progress for a second season — and then quickly cancelled it after just one episode had aired.

So the CW network will announce its decision about Reaper by May 21st and the last episode of the season (and possibly the series) of Reaper airs on May 26th. What do you think? Should Reaper be put to rest or does it deserve to cheat death?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE …I really could go on all day here, but I think you get the point….PLEASE – work something out, find a way to keep this series alive!!! It is by far the most original, most intriguing, most entertaining show on television! This is an absolute favorite of ours, and of many, many others! (So, are we to understand that having a consistent 2 million + viewers is “just not sufficient” to save a series from the guillotine, even though it gained those viewers while competing against the likes of “American Idol”??) The incredible Ray Wise has given the Devil a new definition! It’s so obvious that the writers had him in mind specifically for this role. In comparison to the multitude of portrayals in various works by other outstanding actors over the years, Ray Wise gives the Devil a completely new & original style, finesse, humor, demeanor, devious nature, and face – and he made the Devil, while still very much the Devil, a likable character – entertaining, arresting, intriguing and most of all: INTERSTING! There are many different branches to the story – so many twists, turns, surprises – and so many times that this show crosses genres from comedy to action to drama, and back again. It’s well thought out, well-written, perfectly executed. So much so, that this is the first and only series on network television (vs. cable) that we have ever made it a point to be home in time to watch, ever. Mr. Wise & the rest of the cast are simply perfection in this series! Tyler Labine as “Sock” not-returning, a loss, yes – nothing against him, wish him well & sad 2 c him go, but “Sock” is not central to the series’ survival: it stands quite well on its own without the character’s comedic antics.
We had all but given up on TV for providing original, smart, funny and interesting programming, until this show began airing. In fact, “Reaper” has served to renew our hopes that TV, once again, would have something to offer worth watching! Why would CW cancel any series doing this well, with such a large following, with such an original story line, and whose ratings were steadily climbing against the competitor to beat all competitors American Idol? If you are going to throw the “R” word around (RATINGS, of course), consider this:
To have pulled the numbers it did while pitted against the likes of “American Idol” should have been reason enough for CW to see that if they would just put it in another time slot, they’d have a runaway hit on their hands….Come on, CW : “American Idol”?? For a series with this much of a following, this much promise, how FAIR was it to make it compete against that TV ratings-HOG (and then complain about it when the ratings were less than perfect)??? Please. CW needs to stop letting the economic hardships hit them in their “programming” wallet, if you will, and stick out the hard times with real winners like “Reaper”.

Reaper is one of the best shows on The CW, next to Supernatural. Haven’t the CW learn from pass mistake, do they not remember, replacing good tv shows, with the likes of Tarzan, and Dark shadows? It didn’t work than, it will not work now.

Save REAPER! The show is fun, exciting, and genuinely funny. Sock and Sam’s dynamic is a blast. All that along with the Devil’s intrigue and a quasi-Ghostbusters feel is enough to make this my favorite show!